Interview of iClinic Bratislava Capitals President

Mr. Ďurkovič, let's go back to the past. When did the history of your club start to be written?
The iClinic Bratislava CAPITALS club was founded five years ago, formerly known as HC Bratislava. The club started in the third league, in the second year the club advanced to the second league and finished twice in the playoffs. A year ago, my friend Dušan Pašek jr. And myself entered the game with a clear goal – to advance to the highest hockey competition. We won the regular season and the first two games of the playoffs, but then the coronavirus pandemia stopped the competiton.

In the meantime, however, you have decided to apply to the former Erste Bank Eishockey League. What were the reasons for this step?
Our initial goal was to return to Bratislava the first league, because Slovan Bratislava was part of the Russian transnational competition KHL and in our capital city we did not have representation in the highest competition. Later, however, Slovan Bratislava returned to the Slovak first league and we found ourselves in a new situation. In the case of progress to the highest competition, we would be the second Bratislava club. On the one hand, it might be attractive for Bratislavaians to have a city derby, on the other hand we would compete with each other and it must be objectively acknowledged that competing for the favour of fans with a club with a almost 100-year tradition would not be easy at all.

Where did this idea come about?
At first it seemed unrealistic and too big challenge for such a young club. However, we started talking to several bosses of Austrian clubs and the idea of joining this transnational competition was increasingly appealing to us. Finally, we decided to try it, we took it and after three and a half months we were officially accepted.

What are your ambitions in the first year?
Our goal is to win every game, that's not the case in sport. But we have to be realistic and I think we can achieve the playoffs. What happens next is written in the stars. We are going into a competition with a more modest budget and with purely Slovak players, except one player, but I am convinced that we will be a respected team and we will play in the finals within three years. (laugh)

What do you personally expect from that?
Hockey is my long-standing passion and my personal goal is to show Bratislava quality hockey from Western Europe. When I was looking at some EBEL league matches, I was positively surprised by its high level. I believe that the participation of iClinic Bratislava CAPITALS in the transnational league will be beneficial for both sides – Bratislava will see quality hockey and we will refresh the competition.

Which match are you most looking forward to?
I don't want to offend anyone, but the most attractive one will probably be for us the duel against the Vienna Capitals. Bratislava and Vienna are the two closest capital cities in the world and I think there will be a healthy rivalry between us. Moreover, a few years ago, my company iClinic was the sponsor of this club, so I know a lot of people in it personally, so it will have a specific flavor for me.

What condition are you in with building a team for the new season?
We are currently finalising negotiations with individual players. With one exception we will have a purely Slovak players, which will be a combination of youth and experience. But I have the greatest joy from our coach, who has a good reputation not only in Slovakia. It is on him that I rely on him to be able to create and motivate our team to the best performances and results.

How are you doing with the fans? Will you have enough spectator support at home games?
We are a very young club and our fan base is just starting to build. However, we have the first signs that people are curious about the new competition and we are also looking at our club items. The amount of spectators at our matches will also depend on our performances, which we have in our own hands. When we get good results, we'll have full-backs.

What are you going to be happy with after a year in this league?
First of all, I will be satisfied if we succeed in the ring in this competition – with our results. Our second goal is to succeed with our fans in Bratislava, but also in the wider surroundings. If we play good hockey and people go out to watch our team in big number, I'll be very happy. And to be honest, my third ambition is to make a good name for my eye clinic, which operates in Austria under the name iDoctor. And the greatest achievement will be when people love our team in Austria and the rest of the league.